Hydraulic coal cleaner and grader



Nov. 13, 1934.

1.. E. BARRETT ET AL; 1,980,712

HYDRAULIC COAL CLEANER AND (TRADER Original Filed Sept. 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet I 1 i Inventors Ian/11. 1186 fiari'ei f L. E. BARRETT ET AL 1,980,712

HYDRAULIC COAL CLEANER AND GRADER Nov. 13, 1934.

Original Filed Sept. 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nventqrs [an fence E fiarrei f (Zar 6,! /07 1934- E. BARRETT ET AL HYDRAULIC COAL CLEANER AND GRADER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I mentors I 5607-67 2 /JZHJW 71 4015M flllomey Original Filed Sept- 16, 1931 Z a w/Pm' (Xavier Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES HYDRAULIC COAL CLEANER AND GRADER Laurence E. Barrett and Charles Johnson,

Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application September 16, 1931, Serial No. 563,192 Renewed April 11, 1934 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic coal cleaner and grader and has for its object to provide a novel method of cleaning and grading coal by means of a novel apparatus which is thoroughly efiicient and reliable in use and well adapted to the end desired.

Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus and method of cleaning and grading coal whereby the Ill end desired is attained without undue fracture of the coal by self contact.

A still further important object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus and method of this nature which is simple, inexpensive to construct and operate and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is intended.

With the above and numerous other objects in View as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features I 29 of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an apparatus embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail transverse section through one of the screens, and

Figure 5 is an elevation of an elongated complete apparatus.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of two adjacent cross sections illustrating the progressive increase in the size of the apertures of the screen in the direction of the flow of water and coal.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that coal is passed through a screen 5 at the top or entrance of a hopper X. The coal in the hopper X gravitates downwardly into a trough section U and as it enters this trough section U it is met by a jet of water from nozzle Y1. The flow of the coal from the hopper X may be controlled by a plate 6. Adjacent the end of the trough U remote from the jet Y1, there is provided a screen S of special design. The jet of water from the nozzle Y1 is of .sucharea and velocity to retain the coal in suspension and turbulence and to cause its flow along the trough section. This coal now in suspension is being cleaned by the turbulence of the water and flows to the grid or screen S. This grid or screen S permits the finer particles of coal (dusttor silt) to pass through. During this screening, turbulence is maintained by an auxiliary nozzle Y2 which may be mechanically oscillated to :direct its jet of water periodically along the entire length of the screen S. This nozzle Y2 also retains a clean screen and maintains the how. In such-a manner are the finer particles, ranging from dust to the desired size of aperture of the screen S disposed of. The coal in dust or silt fcrmwhich {35 in this form is of considerable value, is received or formed into a sedimentation basin Z suggested in Figure 1, which basin may be conveniently drained by either a spill-over or a base drain.

The coal remaining in the trough and main- 1'10 tained in suspension enters another trough section U2 at a slightly lower level than the cross section 2 and on its entrance into this trough U2 is met by a jet of Water from a nozzle Y3,Which maintains the coal in suspension and maintains the desired '75 flow and turbulence.

The coal reaching the second section while in suspension reaches a second screen or grid of larger aperture than the first mentioned screen and allows a larger size of coal to pass therethrough. Thus the second size of coal is disposed of. It is apparent that the screening of a third, fourth, fifth, etc. size can be carried out by a similar method, the sizes of the apertures of the screens in said trough sections progressively in- .55 creasing in the direction of the flow of the water and coal so that beneath each trough section a coal pile will be formed, each pile of coal, according to the size of the coal being known by its tradename as for example No. 2 buckwheat, No. 1 buckwheat pea, etc. Thus a grading of the coal is accomplished as is thought apparent.

Screened coal passing from each grid or screen S is gathered by a funnel shaped hopper H suspended underneath the entire length of the screen 95,

or grid. The base of the hopper is connected to a series of pipes fitted in telescopic style as indicated at 8 to reach any distance to the top of a coal pile. This feature is to diminish fracture of falling coal. The troughs are mounted in suitable tower structure 10 and braced by suitable trestle work 11.

Each grid or screen 8 comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed spaced parallel co-extensive legs 12 on arcuate bolts 14, and spacers 15 .105 are disposed between the blades. The thickness of the blades taper downwardly. The bolts 14 are extended through the sides of the trough section and held in place by nuts or the like.

The benefits to be derivedfrom the use of our 11 invention may be listed as follows: To remove from the coal more thoroughly such fine matter combustible value, thus unmarketable in its present run of mine, condition.

We further wish to emphasize that we consider the outstanding features on which the invention is based to be the cleaning of the coal hydraulically by the turbulence of the water while said coal is in suspension; the special design of the grid of different apertures or any desired size trough; and the spe'cial'design of the flexible down spouts which are intended to pile the coal from the grid without shoclgthus to reduce fracture;

' Itis thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantagesof this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

' The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is: I

,In an apparatus of the class described, a plurality of communicating trough sections, each of said trough sections being provided with longitudinally spaced imperforate bottom portions, means for depositing coal in one of the sections, nozzles for directing water into the trough sections to maintain the coal in suspension and turbulence, and grids of different size, one in the bottom of each trough section and located between the spaced imperforate bottom portions thereof, said grids comprising arcuate-shaped supports having a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending blades thereon, the thickness of theblades tapering gradually downward.

LAURENCE E. BARRETT. CHARLES JOHNSON. 

